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Small London theatre dominates at the Olivier Awards

Lee Batty, Head of Production for the Olivier Awards, inspects model busts ahead of the big night. Photo: PA

A small theatre in north London has upstaged Hollywood movie stars and the established grand dames of British theatre to take home eight gongs at the Olivier Awards.

Islington's Almeida Theatre beat off competition from the likes of the National Theatre to take home eight awards at Theatreland's annual bash with success for two of its plays, Chimerica and Ghosts.

Leslie Manville was one of the Almeida's winners, picking up the best actress award for the play "Ghosts". Credit: PA

Almeida talent beat off top Hollywood talent like Tom Hiddleston, Jude Law, and Dame Judi Dench to take home a number of the top acting awards.

The star-studded event at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden - which ended with Abba duo Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus on stage performing some of their biggest hits with the cast of Mamma Mia! - attracted names including Dame Judi Dench, Tom Hiddleston and Gemma Arterton, who co-hosted with Stephen Mangan.

The first award of the night set the tone and went to Ghosts - one of the Almeida's hits.

It was accepted by director Sir Richard Eyre, who paid tribute to the "most wonderful cast" in the new production of Ibsen's play.

He said: "For all the successes, you have to be able to fail and that is what subsidy gives you."

Inspiring jealousy - Rory Kinnear picked up the top acting award for his performance of Iago in Shakespeare's Othello. Credit: PA

Rory Kinnear, best known for playing Bill Tanner in the Bond films Skyfall and Quantam of Solace, beat off film stars Tom Hiddleston and Jude Law to the best actor award for his performance as Iago in Othello at the National Theatre.

Accepting his award, he said the part was one of the "most thrilling" of his life.

The Book of Mormon celebrate their four awards. Credit: PA

One of the other big winners of the night was the controversial musical Book of Mormon, written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

The show, at the Prince of Wales theatre in London's Leicester Square, won two acting gongs, best new musical and a prize for choreography.

Kinnear returned to the stage at the end of the night with James Corden to present a special award to Sir Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr for their work at the National Theatre, which has produced critical and commercial hits including War Horse and One Man, Two Guvnors - in which Corden starred.

Sir Nicholas, who noted all the previous outgoing directors of the National had won a gong for outstanding achievement, joked it should be called the "thank you very much, and now f*** off" award.